Collapsible clothesline dryer



May 29, 1956 Filed May 11, 1954 c. SHORE EI'AL 2,747,749

COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHESLINE DRYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS. CHARLES SHORE MORTON SHORE BY 0 ATTORNEYS.

y 29, 1956 c. SHORE ET AL COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHESLINE DRYER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1954 WWW A T TOR/V5 Y3 United States PatentO COLLAPSIBLE CLOTHESLINE DRYER Charles Shore and Morton Shore, Philadelphia, Pa. Application May 11,1954, SerialNo. 429,004

2 Claims. (Cl.211--178) This invention-relates to a collapsible clothesline dryer of the type in which the clothesline supporting arms extend substantially parallel to each other in horizontal positions on both sides of a central post, when the dryer is in its fully unfolded or set-upposition with the clotheslines extendingbetween the supporting arms in substantially parallel horizontal positions.

An important object of this invention is to provide a collapsible clothesline dryer of the character described in which the clothesline supporting arms are unitary but bendable or flexible substantially at their centers. This not only improves the folding and unfolding operation of the dryer, but also enhances the compactness of the dryer in its foldedor collapsed position.

Another object-of the invention is to-provide a collapsible clothesline dryer ofthe character described in which each of the clothesline supporting arms is made of a hollow tube, preferably ofrubber, which is flexible at least in the direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis. Inserted in each of the supporting arms is a pair of rigid members, preferably steel tubes, the inner ends of which are spaced from each other substantially centrally of the supporting arm. Thus, each supporting arm, in effect, comprises two sections which are automatically aligned in a horizontal position when the dryer is in its fully erect position and the two sections automatically assume substantially vertical positions adjacent each other and adjacent the central post when the dryer is folded or collapsed. Furthermore, the rigid members in each of the supporting arms serve to pivotally attach the supporting arms to the mechanism operatively connecting the supporting arms to the central post and also serve to anchor the ends of each clothesline on the supporting arms.

And yet another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible clothesline dryer which is relatively simple in construction, easy to operate, easy to repair and inexpensive.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent as the following description proceeds in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dryer shown in its fully unfolded or set-up position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing an intermediate folding position of the dryer with several of the clotheslines removed for purposes of clarity;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the dryer shown in its fully collapsed position;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of one of the clotheslines supporting arms in the fully erected position of the dryer, the supporting braces being broken away for purposes of clarity;

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a sectional view with parts broken away taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sec- 2,747,749 Patented May 29,1956

,tional view of one of the supporting arms shown in its fully folded position; and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the supporting arm and illustrating the manner in which it is attached to the end of aclothesline.

Specific reference will now be made to the drawings wherein similar reference characters are used for corresponding elements throughout.

The present dryer generally indicated at 10 and corn.- prises a central post 12 adapted to be retained in a-substantially vertical position, a pair of clothesline supporting or rope arms 14, brace means 16 pivotally and slidably connecting the rope arms to the central post. and clothes, lines 18 terminally securedto the rope armsv so that when the dryer is in its fully open or erect position, the rope armsextend horizontally on both sides of the central post andthe clotheslines extend in substantially horizontal parallel positions between the rope arms as shown clearly in Figure 1.

Eachof the rope arms 14, consists of a hollow tube 20, preferably made of rubber, which is bendable or flexible in an axis perpendicular to the-longitudinal axis of the tube. Received in each of the tubes 20 is a pair of rigid members 22 and. 24,- preferably made of steel tubing, the inner ends 26 and 28 of which are spaced from eachother as at 30 at a position substantially centrally of the tube 20. Thus, each rope or supporting arm is provided with twosubstantially rigid sections 32 and 34, which move into horizontal alignment with. each other when the dryer is fully opened, but which assume substantially vertical positions adjacent each other when the dryer is fully collapsed by virtue of the fact that the tube 20: is free to bend at its central area 30 as shown clearly in Figures 3 and 7.

As will appear hereinafter, the rigid members 22- and 24 in each of the supporting or rope arms serve not only to limit the area of flexibility of the supporting arms, but also serve to secure the brace means 16 and the ends of the clotheslines 18.

Each end of each of the clotheslines 18 is knotted as at 36 to a spring clip 38 which has legs 40 that extend through the flexible tube 20 and are anchored on the rigid inserts 22 and 24 as shown more particularly in Figures 5-8.

The brace means 16 is conventional and includes two pairs of longer rods or tubes 42 and two pairs of shorter rods or tubes 44. The outer end of each brace rod 42 is pivotally secured to the supporting arms 14 adjacent their ends in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2. This is accomplished by passing a headed bolt 46 diametrically through the flexible tube 20, the rigid inserts 22, 24 and the brace rod 42, there to be secured by a suitable nut 48. It will be seen that the outer ends of the brace rods 42 are pivoted to the rope arms for movement in axes perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the rope arms and the brace rods. The inner ends of the brace rods 42 are pivoted as at 50 to a collar 52 which is slidably mounted upon a central post 12 and which may be retained in an upper fixed position by means of a suitable cotter pin 54.

Each of the shorter brace rods 44 is pivoted at its outer end as at 56 to each of the large brace rods 42 intermediate its ends. The inner end of each brace rod 44 is pivoted as at 58 to a collar 60 which is fixedly secured in any suitable manner to the upper end of the central post 12.

Thus it will be seen that a collapsible clothesline dryer is provided, wherein movement of the slide collar 52 upwardly on the central post 12 to the position shown in Figure 1 will automatically place the arm sections 32 and 34 into horizontal alignment with each other in the fully opened or set-up position of the dryer. To collapse the dryer, the cotter pin 54 is removed from the central post and the collar 52 is slid downwardly on the post. As it slides downwardly on the post, each of the rope arms automatically bends at its central position 30, as shown in Figure 2, and in the final collapsed position of the dryer, the arm sections 32 and 34 will extend in substantially vertical positions adjacent each other and adjacent the central post 12 to provide a compact unit.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described here above it will be understood that skilled artisans may make minor changes of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A collapsible clothesline dryer having a central post adapted to be retained in a vertical position, a pair of unitary clothesline supporting arms adapted in the fully unfolded position of the dryer to be disposed in substantially parallel horizontal positions on opposite sides of said central post and in the collapsed position of the dryer to be disposed closely adjacent said central post, means operatively connecting said supporting arms to said central post whereby said arms are movable from the collapsed to the unfolded position, each of said supporting arms being resiliently deformable substantially at its center to provide two arm sections which are in horizontal alignment in the folded position of the dryer and which extend in substantially vertical positions adjacent each other and said central post when the dryer is in its collapsed position, each of said supporting arms including an elongated hollow tube which is flexible at least in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and a pair of elongated rigid members received in said tube, the inner ends of said rigid members being spaced from each other at a position substantially centrally of said hollow tube, the outer ends of said rigid members extending beyond and being connected to said means operatively connecting said supporting arms to said central post.

2. A collapsible clothesline dryer comprising a central post adapted to be retained in a vertical position, a pair of unitary clothesline supporting arms, a first set of braces pivoted at their outer ends to said supporting arms adjacent their ends and at their inner ends pivotally and slidably mounted on said central post, and a second set of braces pivoted at their outer ends to said first set of braces intermediate their ends and at their inner ends pivoted to a fixed position of said central post above the inner ends of said first set of braces, each of said supporting arms being resiliently deformable at its center to provide two arm sections which are in horizontal alignment in the unfolded position of the dryer and which extend in substantially vertical positions adjacent each other and said central post when the dryer is in its collapsed position, each of said supporting arms including an elongated hollow rubber tube which is flexible at least in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal axis and a pair of elongated rigid members received in said tube, the inner ends of said rigid members being spaced from each other at a position substantially centrally of said hollow tube, the outer ends of said rigid members extending at least to said first set of braces and being pivotally connected to said first set of braces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 317,157 Lowrie May 5, 1885 826,102 Hersey July 17, 1907 1,286,388 Mulconroy Dec. 3, 1918 1,953,915 Burgett et a1. Apr. 3, 1934 2,300,057 Meyer Oct. 27, 1942 2,459,110 Midouhas Jan. 11, 1949 2,644,592 Campion July 7, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,060,303 France Nov. 18, 1953 

